LOCATION RENSHIGH WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Mollic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Renshigh silt loam - cropland, wheat stubble, on a 21 percent south-southeast slope at an elevation of 2,390 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures and spot plate reaction is used for pH values.)
Ap--0 to 4 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine and fine irregular pores; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
2Bt--4 to 21 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium prismatic and strong medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular and few very fine irregular pores; few faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds and few distinct clay films in pores; many distinct stress surfaces on faces of peds; common faint skeletans on stress surfaces; common coarse hard cicada casts and cicada burrows orientated vertically in the horizon; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
2Btk1--21 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine irregular pores; few faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common distinct stress surfaces on faces of peds; common faint skeletans on stress surfaces; very few fine black (2.5Y 2.5/1) irregular manganese stains on faces of peds; common fine filaments of secondary carbonates in pores, strongly effervescent, and few distinct coatings of secondary carbonates on faces of peds, violently effervescent; 6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
2Btk2--36 to 48 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine irregular pores; common faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few distinct stress surfaces on faces of peds; few faint fine black (2.5Y 2.5/1) irregular manganese stains on faces of peds; many fine filaments of secondary carbonates in pores, strongly effervescent, and common distinct coatings of secondary carbonates on faces of peds, violently effervescent; 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
3Btk3--48 to 57 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine tubular and few very fine irregular pores; few faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine black (2.5Y 2.5/1) irregular manganese stains on faces of peds; common fine filaments of secondary carbonates in pores, strongly effervescent; 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btk horizon is 29 to 48 inches)
3BC--57 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine tubular and few very fine irregular pores; disseminated calcium carbonate, slightly effervescent about 3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington; approximately 4 miles east of the town of Rock Island; about 150 feet west and 200 feet north of the southeast corner of section 22, T. 22 N., R. 22 E. (Latitude 47 degrees 22 minutes 41 seconds N, Longitude 120 degrees 02 minutes 49 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in the moisture control section for more than half the cumulative time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. The upper 4 inches of the profile has 0.7 percent or more organic carbon and moist values of 3 or less when mixed and only the upper 5 to 8 inches of the profile has an organic carbon content greater than 0.6 percent. The particle control section has less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser and averages 18 to 27 percent clay. Depth to the argillic horizon is 4 to 8 inches. Depth to secondary carbonates is 14 to 27 inches.
The Ap horizon chroma is 3 or 4 dry.
The 2Bt horizon value is 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist. The chroma is 3 or 4 moist. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The 2Btk1 and 2Btk2 horizon value is 4 or 5 dry. The chroma is 3 or 4 moist. The calcium carbonate equivalent by weight is 1 to 8 percent. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The 3Btk3 horizon value is 4, 5, or 6 dry. The chroma is 3 or 4 moist. The calcium carbonate equivalent by weight is 1 to 8 percent. Reaction is moderately alkaline or slightly alkaline.
The 3BC horizon chroma is 3 or 4 moist. Reaction is moderately alkaline or slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Norax series. The Norax series has a duripan at 40 to 60 inches and depth to secondary carbonates is 26 to 43 inches depth.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Renshigh soils are on shoulders, back slopes and small summits on nonglaciated plateaus. Slopes are 3 to 30 percent. Renshigh soils formed primarily in loess over older loess. Elevation is 2,000 to 2,800 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches and average annual air temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F. Average January air temperature is about 27 degrees F., average July air temperature is about 71 degrees F., and frost-free season is 130 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alstown, Benwy, Renslow, Selah, and Zen soils. Alstown soils are on uplands and are coarse-silty. Benwy soils are on structural benches, foot slopes and toe slopes and are fine-loamy. Renslow soil are on long broad ridges and hills and are coarse-silty. Selah soils are on uplands and dissected terraces and are fine-loamy. Zen soils are on side slopes and ridge tops of broad plateaus and are fine-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Renshigh soils are primarily used for dryland wheat and barley production. Small areas are used for livestock grazing . The potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, needleandthread, arrowleaf balsamroot, and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from 0 to 4 inches with an estimated 0.7 percent or more organic carbon, a fine-silty argillic horizon from 4 to 57 inches, and 5 to 6 percent calcium carbonate equivalent from 21 to 57 inches. The control section is the zone from 4 to 24 inches (the 2Bt1 and part of the 2Btk1 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial NSSL lab data is available on this pedon NSSL pedon number 90P0338. The calcium carbonate equivalent tests done on the 2Btk1, 2Btk2, and 3Btk3 horizons were run in the survey office using a standard calcimeter.